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Deputies: Pizzeria owner severely beat employee in paycheck dispute

Published: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 12:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 10:48 p.m.

A Deltona pizzeria owner beat an employee in a dispute over a paycheck, sending the man to the hospital bloody with swollen-shut eyes, a split lip and multiple facial injuries, Volusia sheriff's reports show.

Reached by telephone, Scorpio said he was only defending himself from Patrick Juliano, 53, even after Scorpio warned him, "Pat, you don't want to do that."

"Unfortunately for me I got the best of him and I had no injuries on me so he said I beat him up," Scorpio said. "But the surveillance video will show the truth."

Scorpio said Juliano was disputing the hours he was being paid as a delivery man and wanted Scorpio to pay him an additional $204, Scorpio said.

Sheriff's deputies responded to calls of a fight in the pizzeria's parking lot at 10:24 p.m. Tuesday.

Investigations revealed Juliano had gone to Scorpio's to collect his paycheck but that an argument ensued because of the amount on the check.

Juliano refused to take the check and walked out of the store with Scorpio following him. Scorpio continued to argue with Juliano as he sat in his car. When Scorpio told Juliano he was fired, Juliano responded, "Well, then give me my money," and tried getting out of his car, deputies reported.

Scorpio said he told Juliano he was fired because he cursed at Scorpio, telling him he was not a kid, Scorpio said.

"I told him he was fired because I told him I would not have him talk to me like that," Scorpio said.

Juliano told deputies that when he tried to get out of his car, Scorpio shoved the door against Juliano and punched him in the face, investigative reports said.

According to the report, Juliano got away from the door and shoved Scorpio away from him but Scorpio punched him again in the face. Juliano fell to the ground and Scorpio punched Juliano repeatedly in the face. At one point, Juliano said Scorpio slammed his head into the pavement. Juliano believes he lost consciousness because the next thing he knew Scorpio had stopped beating him and deputies were on the scene, the reports state.

Juliano was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City.

Deputies found Juliano with extreme swelling on the face with blood coming from his right eye socket. He had a split upper lip, severe bruising to both eyes and what appeared to be a broken nose and deformed eye socket, reports said.

<p>A Deltona pizzeria owner beat an employee in a dispute over a paycheck, sending the man to the hospital bloody with swollen-shut eyes, a split lip and multiple facial injuries, Volusia sheriff's reports show.</p><p>Vincenzo Americo Scorpio, 36, of Scorpio's Pizza, 2742 Elkcam Blvd., was arrested and charged with aggravated battery causing bodily harm/disability, reports show.</p><p>Reached by telephone, Scorpio said he was only defending himself from Patrick Juliano, 53, even after Scorpio warned him, "Pat, you don't want to do that."</p><p>"Unfortunately for me I got the best of him and I had no injuries on me so he said I beat him up," Scorpio said. "But the surveillance video will show the truth."</p><p>Scorpio said Juliano was disputing the hours he was being paid as a delivery man and wanted Scorpio to pay him an additional $204, Scorpio said.</p><p>Sheriff's deputies responded to calls of a fight in the pizzeria's parking lot at 10:24 p.m. Tuesday.</p><p>Investigations revealed Juliano had gone to Scorpio's to collect his paycheck but that an argument ensued because of the amount on the check.</p><p>Juliano refused to take the check and walked out of the store with Scorpio following him. Scorpio continued to argue with Juliano as he sat in his car. When Scorpio told Juliano he was fired, Juliano responded, "Well, then give me my money," and tried getting out of his car, deputies reported.</p><p>Scorpio said he told Juliano he was fired because he cursed at Scorpio, telling him he was not a kid, Scorpio said.</p><p>"I told him he was fired because I told him I would not have him talk to me like that," Scorpio said. </p><p>Juliano told deputies that when he tried to get out of his car, Scorpio shoved the door against Juliano and punched him in the face, investigative reports said. </p><p>According to the report, Juliano got away from the door and shoved Scorpio away from him but Scorpio punched him again in the face. Juliano fell to the ground and Scorpio punched Juliano repeatedly in the face. At one point, Juliano said Scorpio slammed his head into the pavement. Juliano believes he lost consciousness because the next thing he knew Scorpio had stopped beating him and deputies were on the scene, the reports state.</p><p>Juliano was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City.</p><p>Deputies found Juliano with extreme swelling on the face with blood coming from his right eye socket. He had a split upper lip, severe bruising to both eyes and what appeared to be a broken nose and deformed eye socket, reports said. </p><p>Hospital personnel told deputies that Juliano had serious damage to his facial structure, deputies said.</p><p>Juliano was unable to complete a written statement due to the swelling of his eyes, which were swollen shut, deputies said.</p><p>Court records show Scorpio was arrested in 2002 for domestic violence battery but the State Attorney's Office took no action on it.</p>